A little bit worried about the wrapped rectangles under the Christmas tree with your name on it? Or did you forget to even asked for some video games this year? No matter! We’ve compiled the three downloads that can help see you through the holidays and cement your familys convictions that you are in fact a hermit!
Enjoy!
The UnderGarden
This game is different in the sense that, unlike so many others, the goal of the game is to create rather than destroy as you play as some form of underwater gardener, setting about making flora bloom through 14 distinct and aesthetically pleasing levels. While not being the most challenging of games the difficulty level does rise as you play, though the focus of the game seems to centre more on the aesthetic side rather than the physics based puzzles themselves. At only 400 microsoft points it’s worth the download, though it may not be to everyone’s tastes. Unsure? Why not simply download the demo to decide for yourself?
Qlione Evolve
Metamorphose onto a higher level with Qlione Evolve, which includes both the original evolution game, Qlione 1 and its successor, never before having been released in the West, Qlione 2!
You start off as a microbe in a petri dish and must fight your way through other microbes as they spawn in the environment, dropping spores you consume to evolve. It’s easy to understand, but provides a challenge to get through! While Qlione 1 is fun it can get a little repetitive. Qlione 2, however, requires a more strategic approach as you gain more options and abilities, providing plenty of replay value. Once you get the hang of it the games provide hours of fun and can be very addictive.
The graphics are surprisingly nice for a downloadable PSN game. While the environments are simply rectangular petri dishes the microbes are well designed and each boss unique and different. Each level has its own boss at the end, each one providing more and more of a challenge. It’s in these battles that the game really shines.
The game features 2 full games, giving you a total of 16 challenging levels to make your way through with the option of playing with your own custom soundtrack if you prefer it to the games own, as well as a total of 21 PlayStation®Network trophies for you to strive for between the two games. At just $6.99/£4.39/€5.49 the game is well worth the download.
Cave Story
Cave Story just happens to be our favourite game this month, due in part to the fact that it playss like a NES classic, despite the fact it was released in much more recent years. Cave Story started out as a freeware game in 2004 so some of you may have already had the chance to play this game, so why would you want to pay money for it if you’ve already played it for free? This is, in our opinion, the definitive version of the game, having been reworked comprehensively by its original creator, Daisuke Amaya, known by his fans as ‘Pixel’, going so far as to having the graphics redrawn with more detail than the previous version while still managing to retain its classic-influenced charm. There’s plenty of new bonus content included; new difficulty modes, the ability to play as an alternate character, new remixed music, a boss rush and so much more.
So what’s in it for new players? The story is more mature than those typical of classic NES games. In the beginning you wake up in a dark cave with no memory of who you are, where you came from or why you’re here. On discovering Mimiga Village, you discover that the once-carefree Mimigas are at the hands of a maniacal scientist. The Mimigas’ only hope rests squarely on the shoulders of a quiet, amnesiac boy who can’t even remember his own name. As the game progresses you slowly discover for yourself who you are and what’s going on. While this may not sound all that unusual the way the plot unfolds is unlike any NES game we’ve played, giving it a much more adult feel to it.
There are 15 levels to explore, over 20 boss battles and 10 unique weapons to find and upgrade throughout the course of the game, as well as three unique endings to heighten the replay value, this game is well worth the money. At 1200 Wii Points this game is guaranteed to appeal to anyone who loves the classics.
